1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of computerized credit approval, and, more particularly, to digital signature comparison techniques for ensuring that a card user is authorized.
2. Description of Related Art
When a credit card holder receives a new credit card, he is requested to sign the back of the card. The purpose of this visible signature is to permit a comparison to be made with the signature of a person who presents the card in payment for goods or services. If the signature on the credit card invoice matches that on the card, the presenter of the card is presumed to be authorized to use the card. A variety of other types of cards are treated similarly and will also be referred to as xe2x80x9ccredit cardsxe2x80x9d for convenience even though the descriptor xe2x80x9ccreditxe2x80x9d may not be entirely accurate.
In some business establishments, such as a restaurant, when a customer signs a credit card receipt, the waiter will take the card and the receipt to a cashier who performs an independent comparison of the signature on the card with the signature on the receipt.
In other business establishments, a customer is requested to sign a blank piece of paper. The signed blank paper and the card are then taken to a cashier who runs the card through a card reader, and compares the card signature with the signature on the blank paper. If the two match, the authorized credit slip is taken back to the card holder for signature without further comparison.
The way in which credit cards are handled, as just described, presents two problems. The most serious problem is that signature comparison often does not occur. The second problem is that the user must wait while a signature comparison process is undertaken.
With the advent of automated fuel pumps, any pretense of signature comparison has been given up and no attempt is made whatever to ensure that the person presenting the card for gasoline is an authorized holder of the card. This presents a problem that losses are higher than would be expected if a presenter of card anticipated at least a nominal check of signature for authenticity.
There is thus a need for improving the signature comparison process to eliminate obviously unauthorized holders of credit cards and other authorizing cards.
The present invention provides apparatus, methods, systems and processes for capturing signatures and for comparing signatures with authorized exemplars to ensure that a card holder is authorized to use the card. This is accomplished by capturing in digitized form a signature of a customer presenting a credit card and by submitting that signature either to the credit card company who issued the card or to a signature service where an automatic comparison will be made of the similarities between the signature of the person presenting the card and an authorized holder of the card.
The invention relates to a system for comparison of a signature with an authorized signature. The system uses a portable device having a docking port and containing a signature pad for capturing an electronic replica of a signature. The portable device docks with a computer which has a docking port for receiving the portable device and which is configured for downloading the electronic replica from the portable device and for sending that replica to a central computer over a network for comparison with an authorized signature.
The invention also relates to a system for processing payment information having a signature. A plurality of merchant terminals are connected to a network, for obtaining approval of payment information. The payment information includes a payment card number and an electronic replica of a signature. A central computer is also connected to the network and has a database of electronic replicas of respective authorized signatures. The central computer is configured to compare an electronic replica of a signature with authorized signatures for the payment card number and to approve payment when replicas of signatures match by more than a threshold amount. Merchant terminals may include a gas pump equipped with a signature pad.
The invention is also directed to apparatus for processing payment information which includes a central computer having a database of signatures accessible by a card number for which a particular signature is authorized. The computer has a receiver for receiving an electronic replica of a signature and a card number, an access mechanism for retrieving one or more authorized signatures for a received card number, a signature comparator for comparing a received electronic replica of a signature with the one or more authorized signatures for a received card number, and a transmitter for authorizing payment when the signature comparator indicates that the received signature matches an authorized signature for the received card number.
The invention is also directed to terminal apparatus for processing payment information including a transmitter for sending an electronic replica of a signature and a card number to a central computer, a receiver for receiving payment information from the central computer, and a docking port for receiving an electronic replica of a signature from a portable device and for sending it to the transmitter.
The invention is also directed to vending apparatus for processing payment information including a signature pad for capturing an electronic replica of a signature, a card reader, a transmitter for sending an electronic replica of a signature from the signature pad and a card number from the reader to a central computer, and a receiver for receiving payment information from the central computer.
The invention is also directed to a method of comparing signatures. A signature is captured in electronic form and sent to a central computer with a card number. It is there compared with stored replicas of authorized signatures for the card number. The signature may be captured in electronic form on a portable device and then the portable device is docked with a merchant computer and downloading the signature to the merchant computer.
The invention is also directed to a method of processing payment information having a signature by storing a plurality of electronic replicas of authorized signatures, receiving payment information including a payment card number and an electronic replica of a signature, comparing an electronic replica of a signature with authorized signatures for the payment card number and approving payment when replicas of signatures match by more than a threshold amount.
The invention is also directed to a method of obtaining payment information for vending apparatus by providing a signature pad on the vending apparatus and capturing an electronic replica of a signature using that pad. The electronic replica and the card number are sent to a central computer, and payment information is received from the central computer.
The invention is also directed to computer program products, each including one or more memory media, and a computer program stored on the one or more memory media. The computer programs stored on the memory media implement the apparatus, systems and methods described above. The memory media may also include a database of authorized signatures stored thereon.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein only the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawing and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.